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- GIiROUIT CLOSER FOR TELEGRAPH KEYS. No. 293,105. Patented Feb. 5,1884.

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cuit-closing spring.

' plate 0, and is pressed upward by a spring,

provided with my improved circuit-closer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

SAMUEL J.- srunenon, or HOUSTONIA;1\IISSOURI.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR TELEGRAPH-KEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,105, dated February 5, 188-1, Application filed October 31, 1883. (No incdcl.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, SAMUEL, J. SPURGEON, of Houstonia, Pettis county, Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Circuit-Closer for Telegraph-Keys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide. a new and improved attachment for telegraphkeys, whereby the circuit will be closed automatically when the key is released.

This invention, which is an improvement on the circuit-closer for telegraph-keys for which United States Letters Patent No. 284,508 were issued to me on the 4th'day of September,1883, consists in the combination, with a telegraphkey, of a circuit-closing spring or lever pressed against the bottom of the key, which circuitclosing lever is pressed downward to break the circuit when the kcyibutton is depressed by a button and stem held loosely on the but-' ton of the key, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a telegraph-key Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cir- The telegraph-key Ais mounted on a shaft, 13, journaled in standards 0 on the base- D. The button E is provided in its top with a recess, F, into which a button, G, fits,which is provided with a 'downwardly-projecting stem, H, passing through a longitudinal aperture, J, in the button E, the lower end of the stem H resting on the free end of a spring or circuit-closer, K, provided at its opposite end with a longitudinal slot, L. The stem H is providedwith a longitudinal slot, H, through which a transverse pin, J, in the button E passes, which pin holds the stem H in the button E, but permits of an-up-and-down movement of the stem in the said button E. The key A is provided onits bottom with a platinum contact-point, a, adapted to come in contact with a contact-point, b, on the free end of the spring K. A pin, M, passes. through the slot L of the spring K, and holds the spring on the base by a screw, N, screwed into it from the, bottom. A11 insulating-collar, O, is placed in the base-plate G, and insulates thepin M and the spring K from the base-plate 0. When the key is not used for telegraph ing, the points a b are in contact and the circuit is closed between the screw N and the base-plate C, which are connected with the opposite ends of the line. If the key is to be used for telegraphing, the circuit must be broken. If the finger is placed on the button E, it first presses the button G downward, so that its upper surface will be flush with the top of the button E. Thereby the stem Hwill press the free end of the spring K downward, and thus break the contact between the points a b, whereby the circuit will be broken, as de' sired. The circuit is broken automatically and is closed automatically as soon as the finger is removed from the button. The slot L permits of adjusting the spring K according to the length of the key.

In place of the points a Z), other contact-sun faces maybe provided on the spring K and the key A.

The above-described circuit-closer can be applied to any telegraph-key.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a telegraph-key, A, having a recess in its buttonE, of the ci-rcuit-closing spring or lever K, the button G, held loosely in the recess of the button E, the stem H, having a slot, H, and the pin J, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with a telegraph-key, of the circuit-closing spring or lever K, having a slotted end, the pin M,'passing through the slotted end of the lever K, the insulatingsleeve 0, the screw N, the button G, held loosely in the button E, and the stem H. on the button G, substantially as herein shown and described.

SAMUEL J. SPURGEON. 

